Canada’s capital city Ottawa proved the perfect location to launch the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola this week. More than 60 guests joined Minister of State (Sport) Bal Gosal, the Canadian Women’s National Team Manager John Herdman and FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Nozomi Yamago at Ottawa’s City Hall to officially begin a 12-city tour of the Host Nation. The FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will see the most important trophy in women’s football make 11 stops before finally reaching Vancouver – venue for the FIFA Women’s World Cup final. Over the next two months, football fans from across Canada will have the chance to get up close and personal with the official competition Trophy, as the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola travels over 13,000 km, and visits 12 cities including Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

Speaking about the launch of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola the President of Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada John Guarino said: “Coca-Cola is excited to bring Canadians their first up-close look at the official FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy in our nation’s capital. Over the next two months, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will travel from coast-to-coast, bringing Canadians together in their passion for women’s soccer and helping to inspire the next generation of female athletes.” In Canada around 265,000 young players (18 and under) and over 41 per cent of all registered players are female. FIFA hopes the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 will increase sporting participation in the country. Nozomi Yamago, current FIFA Women’s World Cup winner with Japan said: “I am honoured to have been invited to help launch the first FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola, representing Nadeshiko Japan. For me as a footballer, the Trophy is a symbol of passion, celebration and national pride, and I am pleased that people across Canada will have the opportunity to witness it ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year. The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy also represents the power that women’s football has to inspire social change. I hope that it will encourage many Canadian girls to join this beautiful game, just like the girls in Japan.” The FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will visit 12 Canadian cities on the following dates: April 3-4: Ottawa, ON
April 9-12: Montreal, QC
April 15: Quebec City, QC
April 18-19: Halifax, NS
April 24-26: Moncton, NB
April 28: Kingston, ON
April 30, May 1 & 3: Toronto, ON
May 6: Hamilton, ON
May 8-10: Winnipeg, MB
May 16-18: Edmonton, AB
May 22-24: Calgary, AB
May 29-31: Vancouver, BC The match schedule for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ and tournament information can be found hereFollow the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca Cola